Driving licence

For a private car is fine, from what I understand for C and D category, it would require a higher reading or monthly average I am not sure which, my meter only does 7-14-30 days average and record 450 events, which if I test on average 4 times a day would add up to 360 events in total.

Hopefully somebody who has gone through the process would be able to clarify ?

The DVLA will contact your doctor regularily to find out how many hypos you've had and if too many the DVLA may revoke your licence. Your doctor will get the data by downloading it from your testing machines memory.

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Not sure about the above Jim, as far as I am aware are it is hypos requiring assistance by a third party or that will lose you your licence not a couple of "moments" that every insulin dependant diabetic suffers every now and again and successfully treats themselves.

Also the downloading of history from a meter could be a bit hit and miss too, I have in the last 3 months had to change the batteries in two different meters, both a year or so old, losing my history completely in both meters. If what you say is correct I do hope your meter doesnt run out of juice :shock: Maybe wise to back up to a computer regularly so you can at least produce a hard copy :thumbup:

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Fair point Sid - I may have been putting two and two together to come up with five.

I stated that because I had to allow on the DIAB1 form for DVLA to contact my doctor, acknowledge I know how to recognise and deal with hypos. And the specification for my meter, which doesn't lose it's memory when the batteries are changed, says: •Large memory - 1000 readings stored especially suitable for Diabetic drivers complying with DVLA guidelines.http://www.dft.gov.uk/dvla/medical/Annex 3 changes to Diabetes update.aspx which after reading again may only apply to drivers of lorries and buses.

I expect to know for sure soon as it's been a couple of weeks since I sent off my form.

Will try harder to be factual in future posts. Sorry if I caused any concern

As a driver of group 2 vehicles (lorries & buses) you have to inform DVLA if you have 1 hypo which needed assistance. You need a meter that can record 3 months of data that the Consultant can download (therefore must be compatible with their software). I was given an Accucheck Mobile and that has an internal battery back up in it to keep data when the main batteries are changed (this back up battery is supposed to last 2 years according to the manual and is unreplaceable so I guess when it goes then you will lose data as the batteries are changed).
The medical forms for the regular group 2 medicals have always included a release form for information from your GP so I guess the diabetic forms are in line with those.

Vespa, I never lost the categories off my licence as I never sent it in to DVLA until they asked for it and that was when they re-instated my group 2 categories. Just make sure when you finally get it back you get all the categories that you originally held. Also see about finding out whether you have a suitable meter that will record all the data and your Consultant can use it else you will lose time in getting back on the road.

I have no direct experience of dealing with just a car licence as my group 2 categories are 12 monthly renewals so override the 3 yearly car licence renewals so hopefully someone with car experience can clarify things from that point of view.

I've just got my categories put back on my licence having lost them in 1991. It took me nearly 6 months to get them back but there was a fair bit of going backwards and forwards. I only wanted my lorry category back but also got the C class as they seem to be lumped together. I've also got a motorbike licence which has never been discussed. Licences with C & D categories are restricted to 12 months.

My consultant was really helpful and only needed to see my meter with 3 months of results, not download them. The thing that he was most concerned about was a hypo that needed a third party to help with. If this was the case the DVLA are getting stricter about this and revoking people's driving licences with no chance of appealing. The D4 form is completed by the Consultant and they receive a generous payment for this.

Do you have to pay the consultant personally if so how much if you don't mind me asking or is it paid by the DVLA ?

I have just got my D2 form and will be downloading the D4 form for practising for the next 3 months when my blood sugar reading counts starts, then get the ball rolling.

Do your driving licence also gets restricted to 12 months as well or does remains at 3 years ? with only the C and D element being checked on 12 months, I am currently on 3 year ordinary licence with my C and D taken off.

Personally I think C and D should be on a 3 year rolling basis concurrent with the driving licence, to reduce paperwork and backward and forwarding during it.